The Tangled Strings of Life
by Senlong456
Summary: This is the story of Sadao and his twin sister Aiya. Their parents died on the day they were born from the Nine-Tails attack. Skip forward a few years and they grew up, taking care of themselves with some help from the Third Hokage. Sadao didn't know what he would do in life, until he found an old Bingo Book with a very interesting name... (Puppeteer!OC Rated T for now.)


**13 Years Ago**

It was just an average day. The Village Hidden in the Leaves, also known as Konoha, was peaceful and everyone was happy. The fourth Hokage was expected to have his son today, and everyone was excited. Another family, one that initially lived in the Village Hidden in the Sand, also known as Suna, had just recently moved and settled into the village. They were expecting twins that day as well, but they had no idea if they would be identical or fraternal.

What nobody expected, however, was when night fell, and the Kyuubi attacked the leaf village. The villagers all tried their hardest to take down the Nine-Tailed Fox, and even with their efforts, there were heavy casualties that day.

The Fourth Hokage and his wife had successfully given birth that day, but they both died in the attack. However, before their death, they put the Kyuubi inside of their son, sealing it away to protect the village.

The family from Suna had also succeeded in having their twins, one brother and one sister. Sadly, both their mother and father were killed in action against the Kyuubi, but they did have time to name their children. The brother, who was born seconds before his sister, was named Sadao Akira. His sister was named Aiya Akira. They both had brown hair, just like their parents. However, Sadao had inherited his mother's blue eyes, while Aiya had inherited her father's hazel.

Twin siblings Sadao and Aiya Akira. This is their story.

**7 Years Later**

While the siblings had no living parents or family in Konoha, they still had the house their parents had. As they had no family, they had to mature faster, which they did. As Sadao walked around their home, he went back to the small place that they had books and scrolls in. He looked at the tallest shelf installed into the wall, inhaled, then jumped as high as he could.

He reached something and dropped down effortlessly. He looked at it and saw it was something called a "Bingo Book". He opened it up and soon learned that it was full of Rogue Ninja and ninjas of high threats to any village. From D all the way to S, he found himself looking at the names and characteristics of each person.

He stopped when he found a name that peaked his interest. A name and description that he did not yet know had decided his future.

**Sasori of the Red Sands**

He read on, and learned that Sasori was a master puppeteer and he was given his name because of how he turned the sand around him red from his enemies blood. He also learned that the jutsu Sasori used was from Suna, and they had scrolls explaining how to make puppets and how to use the jutsu.

Determination filling Sadao, he started jumping up to the shelf and kept taking books and scrolls off of it until he found one about Suna's signature Puppet Master Jutsu. In order to use it, you had to learn to make Chakra Threads and learn how to connect it with the puppet. The puppet must also be designed for combat, otherwise it would be only useful for taijutsu, something not really heard of. An hour had passed and he didn't look up from what he was reading. He kept finding more and more things about the jutsu that interested him, and it started talking about the best material to make a puppet out of!

As he kept reading, he found that wood was the most common material, and- "What are you doing, big brother? We have to go get groceries today." he looked up from the book finally and saw his sister Aiya standing there, looking at him with interest. "Alright. I'll be there in a second." Sadao responded as he jumped up and put all of the books up, except for the Bingo Book and what he was just reading. He got his shoes on and they swiftly left the house.

When they got to the little stores, they both went separate ways to get multiple things. He got the fruits, vegetables and meats while she got the butter, eggs and milk. They got all of what they would need for the week and a bit more in just 2 bags, and when they finished Sadao looked to his sister. "Do you mind if I go and talk to the Hokage for a little bit? I don't have to if you don't want me to." He said, and Aiya looked at the bags and nodded. "No problem, bro. Just don't forget where we live" he nodded as he gave her the bag, ruffled her brown hair, and ran to the Hokage's office.

He knocked at the door, and heard a calming voice tell him to enter. When he walked in the old man smiled. "Good morning, Sadao. How has Aiya been doing?" The man kindly questioned. He was past his prime, but not one person questioned the man's strength. "She's been doing good. We were getting groceries today, Lord Third." The old man nodded his head. "That is good. You both must keep yourselves healthy. So, what did you come to my office for?" "I have a very important request, Lord Hokage." The man breathed in from his pipe, letting the smoke leave soon after.

"Well, I'm listening." "I was wondering if you could help me further my ninja career, because I think I've finally figured out what I want to be." Sadao asked in a small bow, not daring to look up in fear he will be ignored. "Oh? And what is it you want to be?" Sadao gulped before he responded, "I want to be Konoha's Master Puppeteer, sir!" He bowed even further down, not willing to look up even more than earlier. The man thought it over before responding. "Alright, what would you need to be able to do this?" Hiruzen asked, making Sadao look up, barely not crying out of sheer happiness.

"I would need to have the materials to make the puppet, a few weapons to hide in it, and-" "Alright, I can provide that. However, we don't have the ability to buy you the mechanics, so you would have to learn how to make them yourself. Is that alright?" The child nodded swiftly. "But before this happens, I will need you to show me you have what it takes to learn how to do this. You will need to move this around." From his desk he pulled out a small wooden doll, just barely the size of a regular sandal stood up.

Sadao looked at the doll, then at Hiruzen, then looked back and forth between them a bit more, and then he smirked. "No problem, Lord Hokage!" The man nodded and dismissed the boy, taking a deep puff of his pipe and letting it out. "Let's see how well your son learns this, Arakan. After all, you were a Master Puppeteer as well..." the old man thought of Sadao's father as he saw the child run excitedly back to his home from the window he had in his room.

**Time Skip: 3 Months.**

Sadao has slowly made progress, focusing mainly on chakra control and making his chakra threads. He was now able to make Chakra Threads on all ten of his fingers, although it was very tiring if he continued to do it. However, he had one tiny problem; he couldn't figure out how to attach them to the small wooden doll he was given. He tried for hours on end, but he couldn't figure out how to do it. It was eating at him to no end! He was close to giving up for the day, when his slightly younger sister walked over to him.

"So, you still haven't figured out how to attach the chakra strings to your puppet?" Aiya asked Sadao. Sadao shook his head. "Yeah, I just can't seem to figure it out. I have no idea where to put them, or even how to get them on. This is really difficult…" Aiya looked at his tiring hands, and then she looked at the small wooden doll.

"Well...couldn't you try to attach them to specific parts, like the joints of the limbs and the head?" Aiya asked, and Sadao had completely stiffened. Then he face palmed. Hard. "What the heck was I thinking?! I wasn't even trying to attach them to specific places on the body! I am such a dummy...wait, thank you so much Aiya!" Sadao said as he ran into the kitchen, grabbing his sister by the hand and dragging her with him.

When he reached the kitchen, he stopped running and placed the small doll on the table. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled. "Here goes nothing…" He activated the Chakra Threads in both his middle fingers, his ring fingers, and his pointer fingers, and tried to place a Chakra Thread on the small doll's head, chest, and four limbs. Suddenly, he felt a pull at his Chakra as each and every one of the Threads had connected. "YES! It worked!" Sadao cheered while his younger sister clapped her hands happily for her brother. He quickly made four more Chakra Threads and distributed them around the body of the small doll.

"Alright, now, the final test…" Sadao started to move his fingers around, which in turn moved the Chakra Threads, and in theory, the small doll. The doll started to rigidly move around, and while it wasn't something to be proud of entirely, Sadao couldn't help but smile at what he had accomplished. He started to try and make it's moves more fluid and life like, and he smiled when he saw that the small wooden doll started to slowly but surely move more and more human-like. His sister Aiya stared at what he was doing, and was in shock and awe at how beautiful it looked. Suddenly, she looked at Sadao. "I want to be a Puppet Master, too!" Aiya declared, shocking Sadao so much he lost concentration on his Chakra Threads. "W-what? You want to be a Puppet Master, too?" Sadao asked, Aiya nodding furiously. "Well, you'll probably have to do what I'm doing now in three months time to impress the Hokage. Then you'll have to learn to make your own puppets and…" "I'll do it! I love how it looks when you're doing it, and I want to do the same thing!"

Sadao couldn't say no to Aiya, so he just sighed. "Alright, but you'll have to take this more seriously than you do grocery shopping, okay?" Aiya nods again, a smile on her face "Thanks bro! I'll go ask the Hokage now!" Aiya is about to head out the door, Sadao a little nervous. "Wait up, Aiya! I have to go talk to Lord Third, too! Wait for me!" Sadao yells after her as he grabs the small wooden doll, gets his shoes on, and hurries after his little sister.

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It took a while to get to the Hokage's Mansion, but they managed to get there before it was noon. Aiya ran into the Hokage's office, shocking some of the ANBU in there. Sadao came in walking instead, and bowed to the Hokage as he entered. Sarutobi waves his hand, and the ANBU that were in there left swiftly after. "Alright, have you learned how to do it, Sadao?" The Hokage asks politely to Sadao, the small Puppet Master in training nodding. "It took me a while, but I finally figured out how to do it, thanks to my sister Aiya." The Hokage is a bit surprised by his statement, but nods for him to demonstrate. He puts the doll down and quickly activates his Chakra Threads onto the small wooden doll. The doll soon came to life, as it started to march like a small toy soldier around the room. Then, unexpectedly, it started to run around the room in a slightly rigid way. However, the movement was fluid enough to impress the Hokage enough for him to start clapping at what he accomplished.

"Bravo! Bravo, young Sadao. I think you've shown me quite enough. You are definitely going to become a Puppet Master. Now, is there a reason for Aiya's presence here?" Sarutobi asks with a tone of kindness in his voice. Sadao is excited that he showed his worth to the Hokage, and he quickly responds. "Yes, Lord Hokage. Aiya said she was so amazed by the beauty of me using the small doll you gave me that she wanted to learn how to use puppets herself." The Hokage looks at Aiya with astonishment, the girl nodding furiously. "I loved how Sadao used his doll so easily. I loved the beauty that came with it, it was so cool too! I want to become a Puppet Master and be able to do things like that too!" Aiya claimed with a very pleading and proud voice. Aiya then bowed to the Hokage.

"Hmm...I don't see why not? I'll give you 4 months time. I want you to do just as good as Sadao has done today, and I will accept you trying to become a Puppet Master. Now...I'll help you make your first puppet, Sadao. So, what would you like the puppet to be made of, and what would you like to make as a matter of fact?" The Third asked politely, and Sadao nodded. "Well sir, I'd like to have a very hard wood that is durable and possibly fire resistant? Also, I would need it to have some metal lining so that it won't be as easily breakable or cuttable. Then, I'd like…" The Hokage listened to Sadao and he told him about his list of materials, the old but kind man being patient and calm with the young Puppeteer in training. At the end of his list, the Hokage nods. "I understand. I can get you everything you wanted in about 2 to 3 weeks. By that time, I want you to have a rough sketch of what you're planning to make, and what weapons you'd like inside of it, alright?"

"Yes Lord Hokage, sir! I won't disappoint you! And I promise that my sister Aiya will be done with her training in four months time, sir!" The Hokage smiles widely at them. "I wouldn't doubt it, young Sadao. Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Sarutobi asked the two twins, and they both shook their heads. The Hokage nods. "Alright, I will see you Sadao in about 3 weeks time. And Aiya, I will see you in four months time. Good day." Sadao and Aiya both bowed, Aiya being a bit slow on doing it, and they both shuffled out of the room. Sadao decided to use his Chakra Threads to take his small wooden doll outside with him. The Hokage then sighed and looked back at his desk. He saw the amount of paperwork he had, and inhaled deeply. "This is going to be another long night, isn't it?" the old man looked outside of his window and looked at the Hokage Mountain at the other deceased Hokage. He briefly wondered how they did it as he got a pen out and got ready to do some more paperwork…

**3 Week Later**

Sadao had came back to the Hokage's Office, and like the kind man told him, all of the materials he requested were here. Now came the difficult part...making the puppet he had in mind.

"So, Lord Hokage, I found some scrolls in my family's shelf, and I discovered there were multiple puppets in the Puppet Corps that have been made long ago. I found some basic information on the formation of the joints, and how a normal puppet looks. I think I'll go with a basic humanoid puppet. But, I think I'll give it four arms to grab a hold of things better. Not only that, but-" "Alright, young one, let's calm down for a moment and think about how we will make the joints." The Hokage had a point, and Sadao stopped for a moment before pulling another scroll out of a small bag he brought with him. "In this scroll, it tells me the basics about puppet making. It even has information on the joint systems, and accurate drawings of what they should look like. I think I'll use these joints to make my first puppet, and then I'll probably make some better ones that are harder to break later."

"I see. In that case, we can continue talking about the design. What weapons do you want in this puppet?" "Hmm..that's hard. But...I think I want it to have a blade in the wrists of two of the arms, and then kunai shooters in the palms of the other two. Maybe I can have a secret blade or something to be placed inside the head of my puppet, so if my puppet gets destroyed where I can't use it's arms I have it's head as a weapon. Oh, and maybe we can add a chest compartment that can be opened to store things in. Also-" "I see you have lots of ideas. But don't forget I'm putting you on a small budget." Sadao frowned a bit at the mentioning of a budget, but he understood the reasoning. If he could make a successful first puppet on a budget, then he would be allowed a bigger budget. Then he could be allowed to install more weapons on his next puppet, or even update his first puppet.

"Alright then. I'll just stick with the ideas I have said. Oh! Another thing! I definitely want my puppet to have a bomb compartment in the other two palms with blades. We could just put smoke and flash bombs in those compartments so I could potentially sneak into the other enemy." The Hokage nods at what he is told.

"Alright, I think that will just about cover your entire budget. You will only get about 20 kunai and 3 of each bomb for your compartments. And remember, you are still only seven years old. While you are definitely smarter than most your age, I want you to try and be careful. And I don't want you to use the bomb mechanics yet because that can and will be expensive to replace. Finally, I want you to promise me you won't use it until you graduate from the academy, at least not against your classmates. I will allow you to use a bigger wooden doll if you truly desire to, but it won't have any weapons on it and it will be the only thing you'll be allowed to use in class. And even though you are aspiring to be a Puppet Master, I want you to still train your physical body to at least be similar to an average ninja when you get into the academy. Don't want to be useless if you don't have a puppet right?" Sadao nods in understanding. "Good. Now, I have one last assignment for you." "I'm ready to do anything, sir!"

The wise old man smiles at him mischievously. "Well, if you're ready to do _anything_, I would like for you to have a friend that isn't someone older than you, your sister, or an animal by the end of tomorrow! I don't want you to have no social life, now. And besides, everyone needs friends that they can rely on, even me!" Now nobody alive, not even the most densest person in the world, could not notice how fast the young Puppeteer paled. "But...that's too hard!" "And building your own puppet isn't? How about using Chakra Threads when you haven't even gone to an academy yet? You are already so far ahead in the ninja world, that you've left your social world behind! Now, I want you to promise me you'll make new friends by the end of tomorrow."

"But Lord Hokage-" "Promise me." Sadao sighed when he realized that the Hokage would not give in. "Alright...I promise." "Good. Now, go find you a friend! By the time you come back to me and tell me you have a friend, I will have sent the materials out to your house. Now, go make a friend."

"Yes sir." Sadao said as he walked out of the room. It hadn't even been 2 mintues, and Sadao came barreling through the door. "Lord Hokage! I made a friend! His name is Da-" Sadao didn't even get to finish his sentence. "Now I know for a fact you haven't even left my door. Go and make a _real_ friend, Sadao." He grumbled a bit before closing the door and _actually_ going out to go look for someone to be friends with.

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"I've been searching for three hours, and I haven't found anybody who could be a friend. Man, today is not my day…" Sadao sighed as he started walking through a playground. Now, it wasn't that he hadn't met anyone who didn't want to be his friend. But there was a problem: he hadn't found anyone who he _wanted_ to be friends with. Everyone he met was either older than him, cocky, or someone who wasn't smart or kind enough for him to really care for and have meaningful conversations with.

He was just about to give up, when he saw a raven haired child sleeping next to a brown haired kid who looked just a little overweight. He walked up to them and tapped their shoulders, both of their eyes opening. "Man, did we fall asleep watching clouds, Shikamaru?" "I think we did...but then we had to wake up...troublesome." The kid known as Shikamaru said to the brown haired kid. They both fully woke up and noticed that I was standing in front of them. Shikamaru, being the nice but lazy kid he was, stood up and looked at me. "Hello there. My name is Shikamaru Nara. This is my friend Choji Akimichi. Thank you for waking us up. Looking at the time, my mother probably would have nagged at me if I was too late coming back home." The raven haired teen spoke honestly and with a hint of intelligence showing in his voice...Sadao already liked the kid.

"Yeah, thanks a lot! Thanks to you, I won't miss our family lunch at the Barbeque. I really am thankful! Shikamaru, wasn't your family going to meet mine at the Barbeque place?" Choji asked Shikamaru, who lazily shrugged. "My father said he would, but knowing him he's probably sleeping." Sadao didn't know why, but he oddly felt like these kids would be the perfect friends for him...

"It's nice to meet you, Shikamaru and Choji. My name is Sadao Akira. I am happy to meet you both. I hope that we can be friends someday." Shikamaru looked at Choji, who decided to speak up. " 'Someday?' We're friends now, aren't we? I mean, you saved both of our skins, so I think that means we're friends, right Shikamaru?" Choji looked at Shikamaru, who shrugged. "I mean, I guess. I don't know much about them, but if it weren't for them, my mother would probably have nagged me till the end of the day. So, I guess I really am thankful to you." Shikamaru did a small bow, and Sadao shook his hands. "No, it was nothing. If anything, I'm thankful that you are okay with being my friends so easily."

"Well, you really don't seem like some obnoxious kid or some stuck up like some of the bigger clans of the village, so I don't really mind. Anyway, have you ever played Shogi?" Shikamaru asked. Sadao nods his head. "Yeah, I know how to play. But sadly, I haven't been able to play for a while because I've been focused on something." Choji looks at Sadao with a confused expression. "Focused on something at our age? What could you be focusing on that isn't something fun?" Sadao smirks at Choji. "Oh, trust me, this is something that is definitely fun." Sadao said as he took out the small wooden doll he always kept with him.

"I'm learning how to become a Puppet Master." "Puppet Master? What's that?" Choji asked. Shikamaru, being a Nara and the son of Shikaku Nara, has heard something like that before, and informed Choji. "A Puppet Master is someone who knows the Puppet Master Jutsu and is able to control wooden puppets that can be used for combat purposes. They are pretty good at what they do. But doesn't that seem like too much work to do this young?" Shikamaru asks, which gets a snort out of Choji. "You think anything besides Shogi and cloud watching is too much work." Choji comments, which Shikamaru sighs in knowing defeat.

"Now, feast your eyes on what I've already learned!" Sadao says as he makes visible Chakra Threads go onto his small doll. Suddenly, the doll comes to life as he starts making it move fluently and fluidly around like a little child running around. He has it start dancing a bit while he moves, flying in the air while spinning. Choji is shocked while Shikamaru is impressed, but Shikamaru isn't showing it as visibly as Choji is. By the time he was done making his wooden doll's "Performance", Choji was clapping with a huge shocked smile on his face while Shikamaru was smirking with a bit of a joyful expression.

"That wasn't that bad. Looks like a lot of work, but it looked pretty cool." Shikamaru says. Choji, on the other hand, is completely in love with the concept. "That looks so cool! Puppeteers must be super strong! I mean, you were moving that doll around like it was nothing!" Choji said with a bit of a jump in his feet. Sadao smiles, feeling happy by his new friends voiced enjoyment with his jutsu.

"Say, would it be okay if we hang out soon? I'd really like to learn more about you two." Sadao says. Choji and Shikamaru both nod in approval. "I can't wait to hang out with you more! I can just tell me parents are going to love that thing you did with your wooden doll!" Choji said ecstatically. Shikamaru, on the other hand, was showing calmer excitement, but excitement all the same. "Well, I think I'll be okay with that. We usually hang around this playground and either watch clouds or talk about our families. Our parents are pretty close. And besides, I think my father would really like to meet you." Shikamaru said. Sadao nods, and with a few goodbyes and a bow from Sadao, he parted ways from his two new friends. But not before he had a huge smile on his face.

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It was the next day, and Sadao was currently running to the Hokage's Office. He opened the door and The Hokage had a knowing smile on his face. "So, did you make any friends yesterday?" the old man asked, already knowing the answer. "Yes sir! Their names are Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi! They really liked my Puppeteering with my little doll, and I really hope that we can keep on being good friends! I'm supposed to meet them later today." The Hokage nods in an understanding way. Sarutobi puffs a bit of smoke out of his pipe. "Well, if that's all you came here for, I would suggest going to hang out with your new friends. The materials will be sent over after dark." Sadao nods and he bows to the Hokage before rushing out of the room with a smile on his face. Unbeknownst to him, the Hokage was smiling very brightly for the kid.

"I think your son will like his new friends a lot Arakan...and it is almost time for him to be given what you and your wife left him...I just hope that he will use it well." The Hokage says with a puff from his pipe. He sighs one last time before he looks at the mountain of papers on his deck that is his daily work. "This is going to be a long day after all...why can't I just have a day off?" He said to himself, not knowing that one of the ANBU at the ceiling of his office was struggling to hold in a laugh.

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Sadao hurried back to the playground he was yesterday, and he couldn't hold in his smile at seeing his two new friends waiting there for him. Shikamaru was the first to notice him, and he just gave a small nod to tell him to head over. As Sadao walked over, he realized that farther back were Choji and Shikamaru's fathers. Wanting to make a good first impression, he decided to walk over to Shikamaru and Choji immediately after them noticing him.

"Hey Choji, hey Shikamaru! I'm a little surprised to see your fathers here." Sadao says, rubbing the back of his head. "I understand why you would be surprised. When I told my family I got a new friend, my father said he wanted to meet you. Don't know why he'd want to, though." Choji said honestly, something Sadao truly did like about Choji. Shikamaru yawned and then started to speak, "Well, I think I understand why my father did the same. Choji, we're still technically kids. They want to make sure we're not hanging out with the wrong crowd." Choji nods his head, now understanding their reasoning. "Well, if that's the case, how about we go meet them?" Sadao asks. Shikamaru and Choji then nod and they head over to the two parents.

"Ah, Shikamaru, this is that Sadao person you were talking about?" Shikamaru's father, Shikaku, asks his son who nods in response. "So you're Sadao. It's good to meet you. I'm Choji's father, Choza. This man over here is Shikaku. We're glad to meet you, Sadao." Choji says, which gets a bow from Sadao. "No, I think I should be the one saying that. I really am thankful that I was able to make friends with your sons." Sadao says, which gets a nod from Choza.

Sadao pulled out his small wooden doll and started to apply thin Chakra Threads that were hardly visible onto it. He had learned that if you make the Chakra Threads very thin, the opponent can't see them as well, so they can't figure out what you're planning to do. However, even though he tried to make them thin, Shikaku was smart enough to know what he was doing.

"I heard from Shikamaru you wanted to become a Master Puppeteer, right?" Shikaku asked Sadao, who got a nod. "And my twin sister also wants to become one, but she got her inspiration from a different person." Sadao says, Shikaku nodding in understanding. "Well, how about you show me and Choza what you can do?" Shikaku offers, Choza nodding. "Yes, I agree. I would like to see what you can do with your puppets." Choza says, Sadao's smile widening. "Sure thing. I'd love to show you what I can do!" Sadao said as he put his wooden doll down. He decided to make his Chakra Threads more visible for Choza and Choji to see it better, and he began his performance. In seconds, the puppet was brought to life once again, running around and jumping into the air. Sadao showed them that he wasn't restricted to the ground, and had it look like the puppet was flying around, it's arms to the side to mimic a bird gliding.

"You really are good with the Puppet Master Jutsu, Sadao. When will you be making a combat puppet?" Shikaku decided to ask Sadao, surprising the young boy. "How do you know what a combat puppet is?" Shikaku then said something that would shock Sadao. "I knew your parents. Before they were...you know." Shikaku said, Sadao nodding somberly. Shikamaru picked up on what happened to his parents, and his eyes fell down a bit. Choji, however, didn't know. "What happened to his parents? Did they leave to go somewhere?" Choji asked. Shikamaru leaned in and whispered into his ear what happened, Choji's eyes widening. Suddenly, Choji walked up to Sadao and gave him a hug, shocking the boy. "I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your parents. Where are you and your sister living?" Choji asked. Sadao looked at him with a sad smile, "We live in what would have been our family's house. They had bought the house weeks before they died, and the Hokage told us that until we got old enough to have missions we wouldn't have to worry about paying any house payments. The Hokage was also kind enough to give both of us money so we could buy groceries." Choji looked a bit shocked at what he heard, and decided to only hug Sadao tighter.

"No kid should have to suffer like you are...you remind me of Naruto, if not a little bit better off." Shikamaru states. Sadao looks a bit confused. "Naruto? Who's that?" "Naruto Uzumaki? You've never heard of him?" Choji is shocked that Sadao doesn't know Naruto, who is well-known by most of the village, even if most of them despise them. "Naruto is known around the village as a prankster. Most of the village despises him because of the pranks he plays." Shikaku lied easily. Sadao wasn't good at finding out lies, and even then, Shikaku was used to telling this lie, so it was easy to trick the small boy. "But why would I remind you of Naruto?" "Well...umm...how do I put this…" Choji said. Shikamaru, deciding to make it easier on his friend, says it for him. "Well, to put it simply...Naruto's parents are also dead." Sadao looks a bit shocked that he hasn't heard of this person before today.

"Wait a minute. I just remembered something!" Choji says, getting the attention of Sadao once more. "Shikamaru's dad said something about a "Combat Puppet." What's that?" Sadao smiled a bit, although it wasn't a complete smile due to just hearing about Naruto and bringing up a somewhat sore subject. "Well, a Combat Puppet is a puppet that Puppet Masters make. Like the name suggests, they are made to be used in battle. They have multiple weapons and traps and other things inside of them to give them an advantage when they fight against Ninja. They also can have their weapons laced with poisons to make them even better." Choji is going wide eyed from what he just heard. "That's so cool! I can't believe that a Puppet Master uses things like that!" Choji said. Shikaku decided to speak up,"Yes, well, Choji, Shikamaru, I think it would be best if you kept quiet about the information Sadao just told you." Shikamaru nods, understanding to trust his father's words. Choji, however, decided to question them. "But how come?" Shikaku inhaled a bit, realizing that he now has to tell the truth about Sadao.

"Sadao's parents, as well as the Puppet Master Jutsu and Puppets in general, are not from Konoha. Instead, they are from Suna, the sand village." Shikaku says, Choji now understanding. Choji, while he hasn't understood most of the conversation so far, understood that Jutsu are an important part of a village, so he understood that he couldn't just go around telling everyone. Choji nods his head, now understanding why. Sadao just remembered something and then bows deeply to all of them. "I'm sorry about being so sudden, but I have to go. I hope you all have a great day, and I'll see you all soon!" Sadao says as he hurriedly uses some Chakra Threads to have his puppet go back into his bag, quickly closes his bag, and hurries back to his house. "I can't believe I almost forgot that I promised Aiya I was going to help her with Chakra Threads today... I just hope I get there on time!" Sadao said to himself as he hurried back to his house.

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"Aiya, I'm back!" Sadao said as he walked in. His younger sister's brown hair jumped up and down with her as she barely held in an excited squeal. "Finally! I never knew when you'd be home, brother!" Aiya said as Sadao simply chuckles at his twin's antics. "Alright, so I'll teach you about the concept of Chakra Threads, and how to start trying to make them." Aiya nods as they both sit down next to one another. "Now, the concept of Chakra Threads are simple, but doing it is a bit difficult, so I want you to try to listen to all of this, alright?" Aiya nods. Sadao takes a deep breath, and then starts to explain the concept and how to make them.

"The concept of Chakra Threads are simple: you make threads out of your chakra in order to control a puppet by connecting them, and you can make them very thick or very thin in order to make it easier or harder to see your chakra threads. Now, in order to make them, you must concentrate your chakra at the tip of your fingers, where 10 Chakra Points, or Tenketsu, are. Then, you must focus your chakra through those Tenketsu and try to visualise making thin Thread-like strings. Once you do that, you need to focus on molding the chakra into the strings and try to make them long enough to connect to your puppet without being directly on them. Do you understand Aiya?" Sadao asks. While Aiya seemed a bit flustered from the amount of information she was told, after a few seconds of recollecting herself, she nods in understanding. Sadao smiles. "Good, now, I want you to try to focus only on making Chakra Threads on your pointer fingers at first-I found that to be the easiest finger to make Chakra Threads on for beginners-and then I want you to try and keep the threads stable for at least a minute for starters, alright?" Aiya nods and begins to try to focus on making the Chakra Threads.

Sadao smiles truly as he looks out his window towards the direction of the Hokage Mansion. "I promise you, Lord Hokage, and you, too, Aiya, that you will be ready to show him that you are on my current level by the end of the four months. That's a promise." Sadao said as he watched Aiya struggle in making her first Chakra Threads.

**About 3 Months Later**

Today was the day. Sadao was walking with Aiya side by side, him holding a notebook in his hands. He got this notebook about 3 months ago when he first got the materials for his puppet. While he wanted it to be a Humanoid figure, he had no clue what size it would be, or what it would look like. So, he got a notebook to keep ideas for puppet designs and potential weaponry and traps he could have. But, that was back then when he first got it. By now, he had a pretty good idea of what he wanted it to look like; it would just take time for him to build it as well as a working area. He also got Aiya a notebook as well for when she passed the Hokage's test, which he knew she would, so she could also make designs for her puppets. They were about to reach the Hokage's Office, when Sadao heard a distinct growl coming from Aiya. "Aiya...you skipped Breakfast this morning to practice more, didn't you?" Sadao said, earning a sheepish look from his sister. "Sorry, Sadao. But I just wanted to get in a little bit more training!" Aiya said, Sadao sighing. Sadao really couldn't be talking, as he did that the day he did his test, too, although he would never tell his sister.

"Alright, let's hurry up. After you finish up with your test, I'm sure that it'll be around lunch time. So, we'll get some ramen at this ramen shop I've been meaning to go to." Sadao says, Aiya nodding. They nearly doubled their pace to a fast speed walk to hurry over to the Hoakge's Office. They finally reached their destination, and Aiya was the first to knock on the door to the Hokage's office. "Come in." said the calm and caring voice they learned was Lord Third's voice. Aiya opened the door and walked in first, Sadao following right behind her. Sarutobi's face softened when he saw the two, and got to a more caring look. "Ah, Aiya! I guess it has been about 4 months since the last time we saw one another. I am guessing that you are ready to take your test?" Aiya nods confidently, Sadao smirking with a similar confidence in his eyes. Sarutobi smiles and gestures to them. "Well, have at it." Aiya nods in confirmation and pulls out the Small Wooden Doll similar to the one Sadao used, although this one had a slightly thinner figure. Aiya inhaled and then exhaled, and connected 10 Chakra Threads to the doll. She took in one last breath, and then began her test, determined to impress the Hokage with all of her hard work and training. And she did not disappoint. She activated her Chakra Threads, and while they were much less refined than Sadao's were, the Hokage did not think to say anything about it. Soon, the doll came to life, and it started dancing and jumping around the room like a hyperactive kid. After a few minutes of doing this, Sarutobi started clapping and Aiya took that as the signal to stop; she made her Doll bow dramatically before having it sit down as she deactivated her Chakra Threads.

"That was excellent work, Aiya. I can say that you are on a similar level Sadao was all that time ago when he was tested, although you could make your threads a bit thinner to maybe waste less Chakra. And while you weren't as fluid as Sadao was, I can tell you've got a talent for this as well. Alright, I give you a passing grade on this. I'll put you on the same budget I put Sadao and I'll give you whatever materials you want or need. But, we can discuss this at a later time. I have more paperwork than I usually do, and I must get onto it." Aiya nods as she bows and hurries over to Sadao, giving him a big hug. "Thanks, Sadao! I'm really thankful that you taught me when you did. I didn't think I was going to pass for a second there...but it's all thanks to you I did!" Sadao chuckles and ruffles Aiya's hair, much to her displeasure.

Suddenly, the twin's fun is interrupted when they hear a growl coming from a certain someone. "Ehehe...did I mention how sorry I was for skipping breakfast to practice a bit?" Aiya says, earning a small chuckle from The Hokage and a sigh from Sadao. "Thank you for having us, Lord Hokage, but we must be heading out. I have to get Aiya hear something for lunch and then I'll head back home to get her thinking about puppet designs. I won't help her with this part, since she should make the ideas herself. Oh, and about puppet designs, I have almost all of the puppet's joints done. When I finish them, I'll start making the puppet's body." Sarutobi nods as Sadao informs him of what their about to do, before grabbing Aiya by the hand and quickly pulling her out of the office.

"Hey, I can walk you know!" Aiya says as they hear the Hokage give out a hearty laugh before they got out of earshot. "You know, you really should have ate breakfast. I told you you would do fine, but you didn't listen and kept on practicing your Puppet Master Jutsu." Aiya pouted as she looked away from Sadao. Sadao, realizing he doesn't want her mad, quickly figured something good to say. "Although, I am not mad at you. In all honesty, I'm a little proud that you are so dedicated to becoming a Master Puppeteer." Aiya once again started smiling like the little girl she still was. "Alright. Since it's almost lunch time, I think we should head for a place to have some lunch. What do you want right now?" "Ramen!" Aiya said, not even a second after Sadao asked.

"Really, you want ramen over some dango?" Sadao asked, a bit shocked. If there was one thing Aiya liked, it was dango. He had no reason why, but she just seemed to be addicted to the food. She never seemed to get enough of the stuff either. "Yeah, I really love dango, but right now I'm craving some ramen!" Aiya said. Sadao chuckled. "You always seem to make my day exciting. Alright, I heard of this place called Ichiraku Ramen. I think you might like it; from what Shikamaru and Choji told me, it sounds like a good place to eat." Aiya looked at her brother a bit confused, before he clarified something. "Oh, right. I never told you their names. Shikamaru and Choji are the two friends I made a few months ago." "Ohhh. Well, let's go get some ramen!" Aiya pumped her fist in the air, Sadao chuckling from her response. "Alright, let's go." The two slowly but surely headed their way around to get to the place Sadao had heard of, but never actually been to: Ichiraku Ramen.

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They walked into the small booth and saw a man smiling at them. "Welcome to my establishment, Ichiraku Ramen! What would you two like?" the man said kindly, making Sadao and Aiya calm from the kind look in his eyes. "I'd like a miso pork ramen bowl; I'm guessing my sister Aiya will want the same." Sadao says, Aiya nodding furiously. "Alright, I'll make them right away!" the man says as he starts making them.

As the man is making their ramen, Sadao notices that a familiar blonde haired kid walks into the establishment. He has a very sad look on his face and he just sits down at the edge stool. "Oh, Naruto! So glad you made it! I've almost finished making you your regular." the man says, the boy's eyes lighting up from what they were earlier. He gives Naruto his bowl, and then quickly gives us our bowls as well. Naurto and Aiya's eyes light up, and they both simultaneously break their chopsticks and start eating, although Naruto is doing it a bit quicker than her. "Would you look at that! I didn't think anybody would be able to eat as fast as you, Naruto, but that girl sure is!" Suddenly, they both stop eating, food all in their mouth, turn towards each other...and both spit whatever was in their mouth in the other's face.

"It's you!" "You again!?" Aiya and Naruto both yell, pointing their finger at one another. Sadao was happy he was out of the splash zone, if by a small margin, and decides to put his chopsticks down. "Your name is Naruto, correct? Sorry if we came off to a bad start; my name is Sadao, and this is Aiya. Do you know Shikamaru and Choji?" Naruto then turns to him. "How do you know Shikamaru and Choji?" "I became friends with them not too long ago. They mentioned you, and I think that we could be good friends. What do you say?" Naruto blinks. "You...want to be my friend?" "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Sadao frowns at the shocked voice Naruto makes from his declaration, but ignores it. "Alright...if you truly want to be my friend, then of course!" Naruto cheers, Aiya smirking. "Wow, first I did well with my test on Puppets, and now this! This is awesome!" Aiya cheered, Naruto looking at her. "Puppet? What do you mean by that?"

"Here, let me show you." Sadao interrupts, grabbing the small doll Aiya had. He activates his Chakra Threads on his right, making them just thick enough to see. He then starts moving the puppet around with just one hand, Aiya gasping when she sees this. Naruto is also wide eyed, watching as the puppet starts moving around like an actual human. "I can control this with only 5 fingers because of its size as well as training hard to do this. I'm hoping I can eventually do this with one before I graduate from the academy." Sadao states, Naruto nodding. "That's so cool! I can tell you'll be a great ninja" Naruto says, Sadao smiling from that notion. "Well, it was good meeting you Naruto, but I think we're about ready to head back home. Aiya?" Aiya nods, and then quickly gives Naruto a hug, making his eyes go wide again. "See you around, new friend!" Aiya says, before running out of the small booth. Sadao sighs, quickly finishes the small bits of his ramen, and pays for his siblings food. "Come again!" the man says as Sadao hurries after his sister.

"So, how do you like Naruto, Aiya?" Sadao asks, Aiya looking at him. "I think he's pretty cool! I can't wait to see him again!" Sadao chuckles at her enthusiasm. "Well, if you're so excited to see him, how about you go and hang out with him tomorrow? I'm sure you'll be able to find him around the village. Besides, while you're gone I can go do something." Aiya nods furiously, saying, "I'd love that!" Sadao smiles even wider. "Well, let's head back home." Aiya grins cheekily as both her and Sadao walk back to their house, both excited for what tomorrow would hold for them.

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**And done! Hope you all enjoyed my new story! I'll just briefly inform you of what's happening. I put the two fanfictions I am least enthusiastic to continue on hiatus, mainly because I am not as interested in the anime they were based off of as I was when I thought of them. I am not completely dropping them, as I might pick them back up later, but until then I am putting them on hold. But, in response, I am making 3 new stories, this one being one of them. I'm making a second Naruto story, as well as two MHA stories! One of them will be a crossover between Steven Universe, a story that also has some superhuman feats in it, and the other is another crossover that I will try and keep quiet about until I finish it; trust me, you'll like both! I will try to upload those as soon as possible. Anyway, I hope you have a good day, a great week, and as always, stay positive!**


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